December 20, 2013

Friday of Third Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 196
Reading 1 IS 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”

The Lord spoke to Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah.

Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary men,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

This is a prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1-2, 3-4AB, 5-6

R. (see 7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.

R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

Our bodies are the temple of God. And the kingdom of God is within us. Therefore let the King of glory enter in to his kingdom.

Gospel LK 1:26-38

In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

In yesterday's readings, the angel of the Lord appeared to a Danite woman to inform her that she would become the mother of Sampson.

Then the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah to inform him that his wife would become the mother of John the Baptist.

Today we see the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and inform her that she will become the mother of Emmanuel, God with us. Unlike Zechariah, she did not doubt the Angels word but accepted it.

December 19, 2013

Thursday of Third Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 195
Reading 1 JGS 13:2-7, 24-25A

There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,
whose name was Manoah.
His wife was barren and had borne no children.
An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,
“Though you are barren and have had no children,
yet you will conceive and bear a son.
Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink
and to eat nothing unclean.
As for the son you will conceive and bear,
no razor shall touch his head,
for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.
It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel
from the power of the Philistines.”

The angel of the Lord appeared to a woman of the tribe of Dan, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The angel came to inform her that she would bear a son who would be a savior to Israel.

The woman went and told her husband,
“A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.
I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.
But he said to me,
‘You will be with child and will bear a son.
So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,
until the day of his death.’”

The woman bore a son and named him Samson.
The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.

The woman bore a son and named him Samson.

Responsorial Psalm PS 71:3-4A, 5-6AB, 16-17

R. (see 8) My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.

R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!

We hope in the Lord. This is why we should always give praise to him. We can do nothing alone. But with him all is possible.

Gospel LK 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.

Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”

An angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. He came to announce the birth of John the Baptist. Zechariah doubted the Angels words and was punished being struck speechless.

And soon his wife Elizabeth conceived in her old age.

December 18, 2013

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 194
Reading 1 JER 23:5-8

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
“The LORD our justice.”

This is a prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ. He is our Savior born of the line of Judah, son of David and King of Kings.

Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north”–
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.

This prophetic line is not talking about Jerusalem, it is talking about the Catholic Church. When it says, "their own land", this refers to the heavenly kingdom of God which belongs to the elect.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19

R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Christ established the church with kindness. The church goes throughout the world during the works of Jesus Christ. Offering kindness in mercy and peace to poor people to out the world.

Gospel MT 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

When Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit, St. Joseph did not know what happened. He was about to divorce Mary reluctantly thinking that she had committed a sin. But in a dream, St. Gabriel the Archangel revealed to him that The Child which was to be born was engendered by the Holy Spirit.

December 17, 2013

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 193
Reading 1 GN 49:2, 8-10

Jacob called his sons and said to them:
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.

Jacob is Israel. His birth name was Jacob, the younger twin of Esau, he was renamed Israel when he had 12 sons which became the foundation of the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel.

In this verse when he says, listen to Israel he means, listen to me.

“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion’s whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.”

Judah is one of the 12 sons of Israel. It is from his bloodline that the kings of Judah were born. And from his bloodline that Jesus derived. This is why this prophecy is important. Long before the Jewish nation was born. Long before the coming of Moses. The coming of Jesus was prophesied by Jacob.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 3-4AB, 7-8, 17

R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
The mountains shall yield peace for the people,
and the hills justice.
He shall defend the afflicted among the people,
save the children of the poor.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Judah is one of the 12 sons of Israel. It is from his bloodline that the kings of Judah were born. And from his bloodline that Jesus derived. This is why this prophecy is important. Long before the Jewish nation was born. Long before the coming of Moses. The coming of Jesus was prophesied by Jacob.

Gospel MT 1:1-17

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

If you compare this to the first reading, you will see that Jesus is from the line of Judah.

December 16, 2013

Monday of the Third Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 187
Reading 1 NM 24:2-7, 15-17A

When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,
the spirit of God came upon him,
and he gave voice to his oracle:

The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of a man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;
your encampments, O Israel!
They are like gardens beside a stream,
like the cedars planted by the LORD.
His wells shall yield free-flowing waters,
he shall have the sea within reach;
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.

Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle:

The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of the man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.

Balaam, son of Beor, was a gifted Oracle to whom God spoke and who knew God's will. In this prophecy, he foresaw the coming of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, Balaam was also a wicked, greedy and self-centered person. If you continue reading this chapter you will see that he winds up being punished by God for attempting to use his divine gifts to make a profit.

Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9

R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Pray always to God that he will give you the grace to follow righteous paths. It is easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we don't need God in order to do good. But all which is good comes from God.

Gospel MT 21:23-27

When Jesus had come into the temple area,
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

St. John the Baptist, the precursor, was sent by God to prepare the way of the Lord. Jesus knew that the elders and chief priests did not want to admit the St. John's authority came from God.

Gospels in a Year

Day 2 - The Birth of Jesus Christ


Today's Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us).

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.


Today's Commentary


Behold, a virgin: The first of several "formula-quotations" in Matthew (2:6, 15, 18, 23). Here the citation is from Is 7:14 of the Greek OT. Matthew interprets it with reference to Mary (virgin) and Jesus (son). Isaiah 7:14 initially prophesied the birth of King Hezekiah, who rescued Israel from many evils (2 Kings 18:1-6). Matthew sees a deeper level of fulfillment here, where the absence of a human father in the prophecy points to the virginal conception of the Messiah (CCC 497). The name God with us is most perfectly fulfilled in Jesus' Incarnation, where his ongoing presence in the world is both ecclesial (18:20; 28:20) and eucharistic (26:26). (Download the  FREE Catholic Study Bible App for full commentary and notes)

Want More? Experience the wonder and glory of the birth of our Savior: Check out The Mystery of Christmas by Fr. Larry Richards. >

December 15, 2013

Third Sunday of Advent 
Lectionary: 7
Reading 1 IS 35:1-6A, 10

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee.

In the end times, when the Lord comes again, he will restore justice in the world. He will punish the wicked and give a joyous reward to the righteous. An everlasting reward.

Responsorial Psalm PS 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (cf. Is 35:4) Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.

R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.

R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
R. Lord, come and save us.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor. He comforts the downhearted. He loves the just and protects them from all harm. Blessed be the Lord!

Reading 2 JAS 5:7-10

Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

We must always be prepared for the coming of the Lord. The Lord will come into everyone's lives, long before the day of judgment. Therefore we must patiently do good until the end. Do not be caught off guard.

Gospel MT 11:2-11

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,
he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,
“Are you the one who is to come,
or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

As they were going off,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,
“What did you go out to the desert to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine clothing?
Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.
Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.
Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

St. John the Baptist is the precursor who prepared the way of the Lord. In the same way, in this Advent season, we must prepare the way of the Lord as well. The Peanuts complained that Christmas was becoming too commercial. And they are correct, Christmas is about Christ. Not about excessive eating, not about giving gifts that people don't need or want, not about dressing up as elves.

Catechism in a Year

Catechism in a Year

Day 1 - Why Are We Here?

For what purpose are we here on earth?

We are here on earth in order to know and to love God, to do good according to his will, and to go someday to heaven.

To be a human being means to come from God and to go to God. Our origin goes back farther than our parents. We come from God, in whom all the happiness of heaven and earth is at home, and we are expected in his everlasting, infinite blessedness. Meanwhile we live on this earth. Sometimes we feel that our Creator is near; often we feel nothing at all. So that we might find the way home, God sent us his Son, who freed us from sin, delivers us from all evil, and leads us unerringly into true life. He is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6). (YOUCAT question 1)

Dig Deeper: CCC section (1-10) and other references here.

What does sainthood look like in the 21st century? Check outContemporary Sainthood by Mark Hart

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

December 15th 2013 - Third Sunday of Advent

Listen Here!

Here is Your God
Readings:
Isaiah 35:1-6,10
Psalm 146:6-10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11


John questions Jesus from prison in today’s Gospel - for his disciples’ sake and for ours.

He knows that Jesus is doing “the works of the Messiah,” foretold in today’s First Reading and Psalm. But John wants his disciples - and us - to know that the Judge is at the gate, that in Jesus our God has come to save us.

The Liturgy of Advent takes us out into the desert to see and hear the marvelous works and words of God - the lame leaping like a stag, the dead raised, the good news preached to the poor (see Isaiah 29:18-20; 61:1-2).

The Liturgy does this to give us courage, to strengthen our feeble hands and make firm our weak knees. Our hearts can easily become frightened and weighed down by the hardships we face. We can lose patience in our sufferings as we await the coming of the Lord.

As James advises in today’s Epistle, we should take as our example the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Jesus also points us to a prophet - holding up John as a model. John knew that life was more than food, the body more than clothing. He sought the kingdom of God first, confident that God would provide (see Matthew 6:25-34). John did not complain. He did not lose faith. Even in chains in his prison cell, he was still sending his disciples - and us - to our Savior.

We come to Him again now in the Eucharist. Already He has caused the desert to bloom, the burning sands to become springs of living water. He has opened our ears to hear the words of the sacred book, freed our tongue to fill the air with songs of thanksgiving (see Isaiah 30:18).

Once bowed down, captives to sin and death, we have been ransomed and returned to His Kingdom, crowned with everlasting joy. Raised up we now stand before His altar to meet the One who is to come: “Here is your God.”


Yours in Christ,


Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

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December 14, 2013

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church 
Lectionary: 186
Reading 1 SIR 48:1-4, 9-11

In those days,
like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.

Elijah was an awesome Prophet.  One of two Old Testament Prophets who were assumed into heaven.  He was a loyal servant of God's to whose prayers God listened.

You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
and who falls asleep in your friendship.

This is a reference to the coming of St. John the Baptist, the Precursor who prepared the way of Jesus Christ.  When he came, it was metaphorically said that Elijah had returned.

St. John of the Cross, whose feast we celebrate today, is another St. John.  He came much later in Church history and is famous for his deep spirituality.  He wrote the interpretation of the Song of Songs known as the "Spiritual Canticle".  He also wrote about the "Dark Night of the Soul".

Responsorial Psalm PS 80:2AC AND 3B, 15-16, 18-19

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
Take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Without God's grace, we can do nothing.  It is God who first calls us and gives us the grace to respond to Him.  Without this first call, we would die in our sins.

Gospel MT 17:9A, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Jesus refers to St. John the Baptist as the second coming of Elijah.  St. John was known for his powerful preaching of the Word of God.  Elijah was renowned for the fact that by his word, God sealed the heavens and poured down fire upon the altar of Baal.  

Catholic Doctrine all makes sense - hold Tradition

It just makes sense. Catholic doctrine just makes sense.

Consider the fact that the Catholic Church teaches us to hold tradition (CCC #113 – 2). Many others have discarded the traditions of the church and focused on Scripture. In so doing, they have discarded the context and culture within which Scripture was written. The Scripture I am talking about is the New Testament.

Scripture itself attests to the fact that Jesus Christ did not write any Scripture. He established the church and commanded the church to teach his traditions to the world. The church then wrote the New Testament based upon the traditions which Jesus Christ established. Therefore, anyone wishing to understand the New Testament must first understand the traditions which are the basis of the New Testament.

Let me give you one example. St. Paul speaks of several doctrines in this verse:

Hebrews 6:2

Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Everyone knows that the doctrine of the laying on of hands is the sacrament of the priesthood. Everyone knows of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead at the end of time. And of the doctrine of eternal judgment to either heaven or hell. So what is the doctrine of baptisms?

Unless you know about the doctrine of the seven sacraments wherein the Holy Spirit washes us with an outpouring of grace, you won't understand that language. In saying, "doctrine of baptisms", St. Paul succinctly describes the doctrine of the "seven sacraments".  Every sacrament can be described as a baptism.

Therefore, unless you understand the traditions (i.e. doctrines) of the Catholic Church it will be very difficult for you to understand the New Testament.

Yes sir, Catholic doctrine all makes sense.

December 13, 2013

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr 
Lectionary: 185
Reading 1 IS 48:17-19

Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:

The Lord is speaking to Isaiah.

I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.

God has taught us how to live righteously if we follow his commandments.

If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.

If we had followed his commandments and lived according to his word the world would be at our fingertips and life would be very good.

Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6

R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.

R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.

R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

God's grace is with the man who obey God's word and does what is good and righteous. But God's anger is poured out upon the man who disobeys God and does what is bad and wicked.

Gospel MT 11:16-19

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

This generation is the same as the generation to which Jesus came. In modern parlance Jesus would've said, "I can't win for losing."

We see it all the time in the media's persecution of the Catholic Church. Take for example the Catholic Church's role in the saving of Jews during the Hitler era. When I was growing up it was widely known that the Catholic Church rescued more Jews from German persecution than any other state or organization in the world.

But today, history has been twisted to turn the Catholic Church into an accomplice of Hitler.

It doesn't matter how much good the Catholic Church does, her enemies will try to smear anything that she does.

December 12, 2013

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Lectionary: 690A
Reading 1 ZEC 2:14-17

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!

Daughter Zion is a type of Mary. The Virgin Mary is the perfect daughter of God the Father.

See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

God here announces to Zechariah then Jesus will be born of daughter Zion, the Virgin Mary, the perfect daughter conceived without blemish of sin.

Or RV 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB

God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.

St. John the apostle saw a revelation in heaven. He saw the Ark of the covenant which had been lost for centuries. Then suddenly, the Ark of the covenant was replaced by a woman clothed with the sun.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

The symbolism is clear. The woman which St. John saw in heaven is the new ark of the covenant. She is the woman who conceived the word of God in her womb. She is the woman who carried the true high priest in her womb. She is the woman who carried the true bread of life in her womb. She is Mary, the mother of God.

She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.

St. John's vision continued, he saw Satan attacking the woman and her child. This symbolizes the persecution of Herod towards the child Jesus. Fleeing to the desert represents Jesus Mary and Joseph fleeing into Egypt.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.”

And God announced that salvation had come to the earth. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm JDT 13:18BCDE, 19

R. (15:9d) You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.

R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.

Judith, of the Old Testament, is an image of Mary. Her action saved Israel. Mary's action, giving birth to the son of God, saved the world.

Gospel LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

I can't repeat it enough. The angel Gabriel was sent from God to proclaim God's message. That message is the praise of Mary. It is God praising Mary to his angel. And the angel obeys God and praises Mary.

Why then does any human being object to Mary being praised?

But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.

The Angel also informed Mary is that she will be the mother of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

And Mary gives her Fiat. That is to say, Mary obediently accepts the will of God.

Or LK 1:39-47

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.

After the angel informed her as then her cousin Elizabeth was with child, Mary hastened to her aid.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

St. Elizabeth was the first human being to proclaim the blessedness of Jesus Christ, and the blessedness of his mother. She is also the first one to recognize that Mary is the mother of God.

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

Mary always points us to the Lord.

December 11, 2013

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 183
Reading 1 IS 40:25-31

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.

Who is like unto God?

Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:

Look at the sky. Look at the stars.  Who created all of that?

He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.

God has named all of the stars.  God knows all His creatures.

By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!

And He knows where they are.

Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Why do evil and wicked men think they can hide anything from God?

Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.

Do you not know that God is all knowing?

He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.

Those who hope in God will always be rewarded.

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10

R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!

Exhort yourself to praise the Lord.  God is all merciful and all gracious.  Turn to the Lord and praise His holy name!

Gospel MT 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Christ's yoke is light and easy.  But many claim that it is heavy.  They confuse the chains with which Satan has bound them with the merciful love of Jesus Christ.  It is the chains of Satan which they struggle to cast off.  But the yoke of Jesus Christ is easy to pull.

Memorize the bible - 1 Cor 4:3-5

Let's go over this verse because it has given me all kinds of trouble. And after all this time, I still don't get it. One heart, the ram is real. That's the picture, "one heart" stands for 1 Corinthians. " Ram is real" stands for the numbers 4: 3,4,5. Put together that is, 1 Cor 4:3-5. The ram is real because in the Old Testament judges used to wear a ram's horns headdress.  So here, I envision Jesus Christ wearing a ram's horns headdress, sitting on a judge's seat, with a gavel in one hand. The ram is also real because Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. Verse 3- So, I envision a bunch of rams surrounding me. This is to represent the words "judged of you". As I look at the rams, they get smaller and smaller. This is to represent the words, "a very small thing". Then, the ram's horns appear on my head. And I hurry up and toss them off.  Because "I judge not mine own self." Verse 4- I put on a dunce hat and sit in the corner.  "I know nothing by myself".  The Lord is standing before me with ram's horns.  "He that judgeth me is the Lord." Verse 5- I look at my watch and put on the ram's horns when the Lord appears. "Judge nothing before time until the Lord come."  The Lord shines a flash light into the darkness. "who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness".  From the darkness come talking hearts.  "manifest the counsels of the hearts".  The Lord pets all the sheep on the head.  "then shall every man have praise of God." 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 King James Version (KJV) 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.  4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.  5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. I love this verse and I use it often in my apologetics.  Why? Well, one of the things that Protestants object to is the fact that we don't judge ourselves saved.  They readily claim salvation by faith alone and believe they are saved immediately when they claim that they have saving faith. But the Catholic Church teaches that God is our judge.  We don't judge ourselves.  We can't judge anyone's salvation.  We are taught to do good and let God be our Judge.  Claiming salvation for ourselves, is, in fact, the sin of presumption: TRENT VICHAPTER XIIRASH PRESUMPTION OF PREDESTINATION IS TO BE AVOIDED No one, moreover, so long as he lives this mortal life, ought in regard to the sacred mystery of divine predestination, so far presume as to state with absolute certainty that he is among the number of the predestined,[74] as if it were true that the one justified either cannot sin any more, or, if he does sin, that he ought to promise himself an assured repentance. For except by special revelation, it cannot be known whom God has chosen to Himself. And this is a teaching straight from Scripture.  For good measure, I'm also going to review the old picture I had developed for this verse: Well, let's look at the words then: 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.  4For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.  5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 1. I am small - But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 2.  Jesus judges me - For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 3.  I am surrounded by false judges and Jesus pulls me into the light - Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness 4.  The hearts of the saints become visible - and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. And the word picture I originally used was the vision of the Sacred heart meaning 1 Cor and a picture of a Ram representing the Lamb of God and the word "real".  The Ram is real! 1 Cor 4:3,4,5 The Sacred heart of Jesus and the Ram is real! Ok, well, I'll have to come back to that.  But I think its beginning to stick. Sincerely, De Maria

December 10, 2013

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 182
Reading 1 IS 40:1-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

God spoke to Isaiah asking him to comfort the people of Jerusalem. Because, at God's hands they had suffered much punishment because of their sinful ways.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

This is a prophecy of the Precursor, St. John the Baptist, who would soon come and proclaim the coming of the glory of God, who is our Lord Jesus Christ.

A voice says, “Cry out!”
I answer, “What shall I cry out?”
“All flesh is grass,
and all their glory like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever.”

People I like the grass of the field. In their season, they are born, they grow taller, they get stronger, and they begin to weaken, then they die. Only God is forever.

Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

This reveals that Jesus Christ was to come to Jerusalem so that Jerusalem would become a beacon to all the nations of the world. And it is in Jerusalem that the Church was first established.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2, 3 AND 10AC, 11-12, 13

R. (see Isaiah 40:10ab) The Lord our God comes with power.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.

R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king;
he governs the peoples with equity.

R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.

R. The Lord our God comes with power.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

God is invisible to our eyes of flesh. But to the eyes of the spirit and the eyes of the faith, God's presence is evident throughout the world. When one becomes aware of God's presence, he can be seen from the smallest details like the veins in our hands. To the largest most powerful events, like the great hurricanes and storms. Who but God could create such wonders?

Gospel MT 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

Jesus proclaimed the love of God for every single human being. He revealed that God was interested in the least of sinners that they be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.

December 9, 2013

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patronal Feastday of the United States of America 
Lectionary: 689
Reading 1 GN 3:9-15, 20

After the man, Adam,

Adam and Eve were both created without sin.  The only other people who were conceived without sin are Jesus and Mary.

had eaten of the tree,

God had given Adam a command forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam disobeyed.

the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”

 After Adam had disobeyed God and eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God called to him.  At this point in the story, Adam was hiding from God.

He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”

After Adam ate from the tree, he became aware that he was unclothed.I

After Adam had eaten from the tree, his is human nature fundamentally changed. God created Adam in a condition of "original justice". When Adam disobeyed God's command, he entered a condition of "original sin". Disobeying God's commands is a sin. 

Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”

He became aware of his nakedness because he had eaten from the tree.

The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.

The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

When God asked him, he blamed Eve for disobeying God's command. Eve in her turn, blamed the serpent.

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

There was first mentioned the coming of the Messiah. The seed of the woman is our Lord was born of woman.

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

With the title, "the mother of all the living", Eve foreshadows the mother of God, Mary who is the mother of those who proclaim the gospel and keep the Commandments.  In other words, the mother of those who live in the kingdom of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4

R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

God has done marvelous deeds. In his most marvelous work is the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Reading 2 EPH 1:3-6, 11-12

Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,

Mary the mother of God was chosen by God before the foundation of the world.

to be holy and without blemish before him.

Before the foundations of the world, God chose all who would be united to him in the Catholic Church. He knew that he would bathe us in the spiritual waters of baptism and cleanse us of our sins.

Before the foundations of the world, God chose Mary to be immaculately conceived and to be the perfect image of that church which is called the bride of Christ. Mary is the image of what the church should be.

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

Mary the mother of God, is also the symbol of the nation of Israel which is called "daughter Zion". Mary is the true daughter of the Father. The perfect image of the church and of Israel.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.

Mary the mother of God was assumed into heaven and is the first fruits of all the Elect who were chosen by God.

Gospel LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

What we see here is an angel from heaven sent by God to praise the Virgin Mary.

But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

The angel informed Mary that she would be the mother of God, the son of God.

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.

At first Mary was concerned because she had had no relations with a man.  But the angel explained that the child will be born of the Holy Spirit.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

And Mary gave her Fiat, her agreement, her obedience to the word of God.

The entire section showed that God sent an angel to proclaim the blessedness of Mary. This is in Scripture which is the word of God. In other words, it is God who praised Mary through the angel. The angel is only a messenger passing along God's word.

If God wills an Angel to praise Mary, how much more should we do so.

December 8, 2013

Second Sunday of Advent 
Lectionary: 4
Reading 1 IS 11:1-10

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.

This is speaking about Jesus Christ, the branch of Jesse.

The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

He is the Messiah, the Son of God, who is anointed by the Holy Spirit of God.

Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
but he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Jesus Christ is the Just Judge who will judge the multitudes at the end of time. Every one will stand before His Judgement seat.  And He will bring everything to light.Nothing is hidden from Him.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.

Then peace will reign upon earth and the City of God, the New Jerusalem, will descend from the heavens.

On that day, the root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
the Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.

On that day, Jesus, the branch from the tree of Jesse will be the light of the world who draws all men to Himself.  And  Jew and Gentile will be one in the City of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.

R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Jesus is the Just Judge and the Prince of Peace.  He is the Son of God who has proclaimed peace and justice to the world.  Through Him we have been saved, if we turn to Him and away from our selfish ways.

Reading 2 ROM 15:4-9

Brothers and sisters:
Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction,
that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.

The Scriptures were written to give us hope of our salvation.

May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to think in harmony with one another,
in keeping with Christ Jesus,
that with one accord you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May God give you grace to love one another and to live in union with Jesus Christ that you may with one voice give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
to show God’s truthfulness,
to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written:
Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
and sing praises to your name.

This is why Jesus welcomed non-Jews. Jesus came to the Jews in order to fulfill the promises given to the patriarchs. And also so that the Gentiles might turn to him and live. And thus glorify God the Father for his mercy.The rest of the boys now

Gospel MT 3:1-12

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.

John the Baptist, the precursor, came at this time to prepare the way of the Lord. And all of Judea came to him to be baptized.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.

John the Baptist spoke very harshly to the Jewish people. Especially to their leaders. And he revealed to them the end of the Mosaic covenant. This is what it means when he says the ax was being prepared for the root of the trees.

Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

And every tree will be judged. Meaning that the Jews would each be held accountable for their actions.

I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

This verse is frequently misunderstood. When St. John says that he baptizes with water but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, he doesn't mean that Jesus was not also baptizing with water. Baptism means washing. And washing requires water.

Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn -December 8th 2013

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

December 8th 2013 - Second Sunday in Advent

Listen Here!
Kingdom Come
Readings:
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Romans 15:4-9
Matthew 3:1-12


“The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” John proclaims. And the Liturgy today paints us a vivid portrait of our new king and the shape of the kingdom He has come to bring.

The Lord whom John prepares the way for in today’s Gospel is the righteous king prophesied in today’s First Reading and Psalm. He is the king’s son, the son of David - a shoot from the root of Jesse, David’s father (see Ruth 4:17).

He will be the Messiah, anointed with the Holy Spirit (see 2 Samuel 23:1; 1 Kings 1:39; Psalm 2:2), endowed with the seven gifts of the Spirit - wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

He will rule with justice, saving the poor from the ruthless and wicked. His rule will be not only over Israel - but will extend from sea to sea, to the ends of the earth. He will be a light, a signal to all nations. And they will seek Him and pay Him homage.

In Him, all the tribes of the earth will find blessing. The covenant promise to Abraham (see Genesis 12:3), renewed in God’s oath to David (see Psalm 89:4,28), will be fulfilled in His dynasty. And His name will be blessed forever.

In Christ, God confirms His oath to Israel’s patriarchs, Paul tells us in today’s Epistle. But no longer are God’s promises reserved solely for the children of Abraham. The Gentiles, too, will glorify God for His mercy. Once strangers, in Christ they will be included in “the covenants of promise” (see Ephesians 2:12).

John delivers this same message in the Gospel. Once God’s chosen people were hewn from the rock of Abraham (see Isaiah 51:1-2). Now, God will raise up living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5) - children of Abraham born not of flesh and blood but of the Spirit.

This is the meaning of the fiery baptism He brings - making us royal heirs of the kingdom of heaven, the Church.

Yours in Christ,

Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

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December 7, 2013

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 
Lectionary: 180
Reading 1 IS 30:19-21, 23-26

Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.

God continues to speak to Isaiah. And he continues to speak of the time when he will wipe away everyone's tears and when we will see him as he is in heaven.

He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.

On that day everyone will rejoice. On that day everyone's table will be full of the choicest foods. On that day grace will pour out upon the heirs of Christ.

On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.

On that day, the wicked will be tossed into the sea of fire. On that same day, the righteous will enjoy the fruit of the tree of life.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.

R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.

R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Happy are they who do the works of God. Happy are they who keep his commandments. Happy are the righteous ones who patiently do good until the end. They will be richly rewarded.

Gospel MT 9:35–10:1, 5A, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Jesus taught his apostles to pray to the Father to send teachers and priests to the people that they might learn his will.

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Then Jesus appointed the 12 Apostles to go out throughout Israel curing the sick, raising the dead, and driving out demons. And he carefully instructed them not to charge any fee. Because he freely gave the grace to participate in God's salvation plan. And they must also give freely to those whom God placed in their path.